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American Indian and Alaskan Native Documents in the Congressional Serial Set: 1817-1899

10-8-1879 Report of the Governor of Idaho, 1879 [with] Report of the Surveyor-General of Idaho, 1879

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Recommended Citation H.R. Exec. Doc. No.1, 46th Cong., 2nd Sess. (1879)

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OF THE GOVERNOR OF IDAHO.

EXECUTIVE DEPA.RTMENT, IDAHO TERRITORY, Boise City, October 8, 1879. SIR: In compliance with your request of August 28th ultimo, I have the honor to submit the following pages : · . Unfortunately the subject of collecting statistics has, thus far, re­ ceived so little attention of the legislature as to render completeness of statement and exactness in detail impossible, in undertaking a report upon the annual advance made in the various departments of industry and growth, concerning which information is sought. This paper, therefore, is made up of general facts · and discussion, rather than of figures. The year bas been one of gene-ral thrift and prosperity. Agri­ culture has been remunerative. Mining bas developed with remarkable success in various parts. Many thousands have been added to our population. Schools are encouraged. General health has prevailed. In the administration of justice and the management of public affairs great advances have been made, and the in~erests of the goYernment .and Territory cared for with improving eeonomy and fidelity. With the advent of railroads and the improvement of highways, now in progress and in prospect, a large emigration may be looked for; and the facilities for bringing in machinery and supplies will cheapen trans­ portation and give life to enterprise. The mild climate of Idaho, its rich resources, its healthfulness, its soil, capable of such rich returns, will, in time, under favorable legislation, make it the home of a vigor­ ous and enlightened people.

BOUNDARIES..

The Territory of Idaho, from its southern base upon Nevada and Utah, at latitude 42° north, to the British possessions at 49o, covers a length of about 410 miles. In width it is 257 miles at its southern and 60 miles at its northern limit. It is separated from the State of Oregon .and the Territory of Washington on the west by a direct meridian line, broken by the course of Snake River, which forms its western boundary for about 150 mile . On the east, its wide base lies against the Territory of Wyoming, while the Bitter Root, an almost impassable range of mountains, form­ ing a natural boundary, separates it from the Territory of Montana. Thi peculiarity of conformation accounts for the inconvenient shape of the Territory. . Since ~he organization of Idaho, under provi ion of the act of March 3, 18G3, It area has been reduced to form other Territories until it now comprises 86,294 square miles, equal to 55,228,160 acres. 416 REPORT OF THE SECRETNRY Ol!' THE IN'l'BRIOR •

.An a.pproximate estimate of the quality of these lands will afford, suitable for cultivation in their natural state, 15,000,000 of acres; capable of reclamation by irrigration, 12,000,000 of acres; grazing lands, 5,000,000 of acres; timber lands, 10,000,000 of acres; mining tracts, 8,000,000 of acres; the 4,228,160 acres desert being destitute of timber and minerals, and beyond the reach of irrigation. Large por­ tions of the mining tracts bear timber also.

RAINS.

There is not sufficient water-surface· in Middle and Southern Idaho,. nor on its southern, eastern, and northern sides, to furnish, by solar evaporation, rains to make its rich soil productive. By reason of the great northerly current, which, like the Gulf Stream in the .Atlantic, traverses the Pacific parallel with the coast from a semi-tropical lati­ tuue far toward the North Pole, an unusual mildness and humidity pre­ vail. The isothermal lines on our maps, binding parts to the north, indicate the extent of the mollifying influences upon climate. The masses of vapor rising from the ocean, being borne by westerly winds, are forced into a higher and colder region in ascending the mountain ranges that stand parallel to the shore, and condensed in rains, fall in abundance on the other side, or, rising higher, they congeal and rest in snow upon the mountain tops. The winds, bearing no longer the gift of rain, pass over the land, leaving large portions a barren waste. This condition does not attach to Northern Idaho, which more nearly resembles Oregon and Wa bington, and like them is capable of sustaining a heavy fixed pop­ ulation without resort to irrigation. There are also fertile valleys among the mountains, watered by the melting snows, which, protected by high altitude and dense forests, bold out through the year.

IRRIGA'l'ION. The numerous rivers of Idaho rise in ranges of mountains on the east, and flow westwardly and north into the Oolum bia. The melting snows which ·upply them remain unexbausted tbrouglwut the year. Their d cent is rapid, through deep and rocky gorges, and broken by cataracts of great magnitude, remarkable for grandeur of scenery. Navigation i ', of cour , impo sible, save for short uistances on Lower Snake River, aud during pring freshets on tl}.e Clearwater. The t p de cent of the e river , while unfitting them for navigation, rh them increa. ·ed value in supplying the absence of rain. Water is ta1 n out at hort intervals, in canals and ditche.·, and carried to the wa .. t land', hile million.· of acres are bevond the reach of artificial irrigation, ther ar yet other millions acces ·ible to cultivation, posses - ing r markable fertilizing· qualitie. ·. vVitlwut artificial aidR, they will r main, a · . ·ignated by law "doomed to perpetual barrenne s." Th ,·cien · and m •thohut out from region fitted by nature for cultivation by powe ·fulriYal. ·, and driven to the de crt·, contrived, um .T th 1>1' .... ur of n · · ,.,.ity, tho ·e .'tnpeudon,. ~orks which brought h • earth UJHl•r .'nbj ction and ·av birth to pow ·rfnl natiou . In .Ar­ m ·nia ra · .· f th .· gr a work,. are found, the o1igin of which goe } ·J ~ l e 'Ond hi,.tory. In ,hlna in ~ll(Ua, in A. ia 1iuor, and near the · nr · •. f th Eupbr< t . , and mor notahly in Eo· 1lt a. w ll a many oth ·r in ri r c uutri · irrigcttiou by artifidal m an .. wa. and still i the ulv m d ku ' ·n :r wbi ·h lwl itation i .. ma lc po '.'ibl'. In Palestine IDAHO TERRITOH.Y. 417 the knowledge of this art belongs to the days of Solomon. "Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Dam ascus" (now known as Baracla and A waj), running east, fall into reservoirs on the border oftheGreatArabianDesert. To the artificial distribution of their waters the plains of Damascus owe much of their fertility. Mr. McGregor, in his "Rob Roy on the J ordau," says that, as a work of hydraulic engineering, the system of canals, by which the A bana and Pharpar are used for irrigation, may b~ considered as the most complete and extensive in the world. In Southern Europe, iil the Turkish Empire, in the East Indian dependencies of Great Brit­ ain, and more recently in Algeria, immense tracts of arid country are brought under cultivation and made tributary to tlw world's wealth. We have for our im;truction the historical fact that in an countries of the Old World, in ancient and modern times, the supply of water by ar­ tificial means has been the work of the government, not of individuals. The ruling power necessarily controlled the use of water, and provided the means of supplying it, often making it a source of revenue, in addi­ tion to aiding the growth of communities, and strengthening the power of the state. It is submitted whether the conditions are so different with us as to promise success under our desert-land law. Our now worthless lands are held at the same price as well timbered a11d watered lands a thou­ sand miles nearer the markets of the world. The settler can only enter one section. He cannot encumber or dispose of his inchoate title, nor contract to do so, until, after complying with the conditions, he makes it perfect by final proof and payment. Except in the most advantageous locations, adjacent to the streams, the expense of carrying water upon his land far exceeds its prospective value. Interior tracts canuot be reached without constructing ditches over those already occupied, or through public lands, from which no benefit is received by him who performs the labor. As to this class of lands, a constant and cheap supply of water is the governing necessity. Without this they remain worthless for­ ever. Were all the reclaimable lands, in single sections, in private hands, the struggle to secure water would involve the people iu contentions and violence, and ruin them in endless litigation. Though nuder the present law choice tracts, level and near towater, may be sold, the great body of desert lands can scarcely be giYen, away, not being worth the taxes. The remedy is twofold: First. These dry deserts of the North hold a relation to the govern, ment analogous to the swamp and overflowed lands of the Mississippi Va~ley. By acts of Congress these were transferred to the States in whiCh they lav, the avails to be devoted to their reclamation by means of levees and embankments to protect them from overflow. On June 30, 1877, 67,683,045.76 had been selected, and 47,923,306.96 already patented to the States. Congress made these great concessions to re­ move the superabundant water from the surface, so as to fit the lands for man's use. Thus bodies of land, equal to a large State, worse than worthless, were added to the sum of general wealth. 1'lwugh some of t~e States have discharged their trust with questionable fidelity, the WI d?m of CongrbSS is justified by results attaiued. . . . I~ Is sugge~ted that the same consime cases, sought to secure large tracts by making entries in many names, coupled with assignments, agreements, or powers of attorney ecuring to the real party the ultimate title. It is understood that else­ where attempts ha\e been made to secure, under cover of the law, a mo­ nopoly of valu~ble lands and st.reams of such magnitude as to require pre-venti'e action by the department. A case arising under my own observation vdll illustrate the defective feature of the la,w. A worthy citizen of this city, the late William B. 1\-Ionis, some two years since unEastern Idaho, the Goose Creek Mountains in Southern Idaho, were en­ Yeloped for long distances in flames. Twenty-seven thousand acres were burned over on the ] ort Hall Reseryation, caused by a fire set by an Indian to drhTe a l>eaver from its nest. Frequent fires during the present season have swept over the mountain sides in this vicinity, con­ >uming the very timber from which the citizens of the Territorjal capital draw their supply. It i considered by those competent to judge that the wooded lands of Idaho are being laid bare by the~;e conflagrations much faster than by all that is taken for consumption by the entire pop­ ulation. Belongi1Jg to the future more than to the present is the scientific fact that the destruction of the fore 'ts produces atmospheric cbanges, reducing the rainfall, followed by perpetual ban·e11no~s. \Vhile pro­ tected from the direct ray · of the heat, the snows melt gradually, pre­ , 'CITiu o· a humid atmm;phere, and supplying the streams, whereby mining and agritultnre are aided, until late in the summer, and embryo forests llOUri,'he(1. 420 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE JNTERIOR. Great provinces in Europe and Asia, once the homes of millions, the theater of in

31:INING. IDAHO TERRITORY. 421

tables at $63,200,000 for the fourteen years, beginning with $500,000 for 1863, and ending with $1,700,000 for 1876; the heaviest yield being $8,000,000 for 1866. A more active production for 1877-'78 will justify an estimate of $2,000,000 for each of those years, giving an entire ascer­ tainable product of $67,200,000. But owing to the fact that large amounts of bullion are carried out of the Territory in private bauds, and in ways escaping inspection, and that ores are carried abroad for work­ ing, the amount actually taken far exceeds the figures given. It is safe to say that from the first the mines of Idaho have yielded $75,000,000. As we have no law requiring miners or public officers to make report upon the subject, exactness is impossible. The first mineral discoveries were worked out by hand labor, the depos­ its being separated from earthy mineral with the aid o.f such rude appli · ances as were most convenient. Soon heavy machiner;y: was introduced for conveying water, drawn from mountain streams, upon bodies of earth and gravel containing mineral, which was separated by washing, aided by scientific means. These partially failing, resort is bad to the rocks, rich in silver and gold, in the mountains throughout the Territory. The processes necessary to excavate these solid formations and reduce them in stamping-mills, and of eliminating the metals they contain, demand ·heavy expenditures, under wise management, aided by great knowledge of the sciences bearing on the subject. ln Boise County, where there has been a falling off in placer mining, also in Alturas, the product is again rapidly increasing from the quartz lodes to which capitalists have turned their attention. Within the past year very extensive discover­ ies have been made in the mountain ranges of Lemhi County, in the region of Salmon Hiver. Deep interest has been awakened and hun­ dreds have flocked to those neighborhoods, locating and opening claims. The extent and richness of these mineral,deposits promise a v.·ery large increase of the product of the Territory. The rough and mountainous character of the country renders it almost impossible to transport the heavy machinery necessary, but roads are being constructed, and an­ other year is expected to bring important results. The quartz d.eposits being mostly found in the mountain ranges from 4,000 to 10,000 feet altitude, transportation and work is interrupted for neal'ly half the year, diminishing the amount of labor, and increasing the cost of doing it. Many years ago great interest grew up in searching for fine gold in the banks and bars of Snake Hiver. Having been reduced to "flour gold" by friction in the gravel in which it was found, the separation of the mineral was impracticable. Within the past few months the effort has been re­ newed, encouraged by the invention of a uew process, being large cop­ per surfaces plated with silver, and galvanized in such manner that the gold dust, bejng brought tl1rough sluipes, adheres to the plates, while the gravel and earth are carried oft'. The richest d.eposits are found upon the bed-rock, having precipitated by its gravity during the movements of the eartll ·in the changing of the tream. As usual, this d.iscovery brought hundreds of pro pectors, and for 250 miles the ground has been explored.. The extravagant anticipations have not been realized, and the work now remains in the hands of a few, who, with sufficient expe­ rience, capital, and cientific knowleuge, find their per everance re­ warded by encouraging returns. Enough appears to show that along the mountain,, in and through which this streamha its source and flow, the rocks and gulches abound in g·old, which, by ages of attrition and change, i.' reduced to :fine dust and deposited where found. It is, how­ e-ver, from Ea tern Idaho, toward Salmon Hiver, that the richest treas- 422 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. ures are t~ come, adding, if present indications hold out, very largely to our annual supply. · The time has gone by when unskilled labor can be relied upon for suc­ ces in mining. Many millions of square miles are embraced in about twenty-:fiye hundred mining districts. As the ores become less accessi­ ble, and the waste from ignorant working goes on, we are admonished of the importance of greater skill and more economical methods. The importance of this source of wealth would seem to justify the organiza­ tion of a district mining bureau within the Interior Department, and the establishment of a school of mines, and the education of a corps of mining engineers in the theory, and the practice as well, of scientific ex­ ploration and analysis. INDIANS.

The condition of the Indians of Idaho remains substantially as at the elate of last year's report. But'few depredations have been committed, and these by small detached parties, fragments of reduced bands not . recognized at the agencies nor under control of known chiefs. These, though pursne<.l by a mouuted force under very efficient leadership, escaped punishment or capture. Consequent upon the disturbances of 1877 and 1878, the people cher­ i. h a Yery bitter feeling against all Indians. This hatS frequently found expre ·1-3ion in the. laying· of Indians not at the time engaged in offensive actR. That is to say, in our border communities, when the settlers come in contact with Indian~ and suffer from their treachery and cruelty, th y, with great facility, adopt Indian modes of aggression and defense. An extreme rase of this kind is found in the killing of two Indians while in cuRtody of a United States officer. These Indians are said to haYe tonfes.·ed complicity in the murcler of l-Ion. ,Jesse McCaleb, a prom­ in nt and esteemed citizen at I_Jost River, in Lemhi County, in August, 1 7 , under Yery aggravating circnmRtanceR. Mob violence did the work in violation of the law, and .·o fnlly did the act respond to the prevailing ntiment of that locality that no concealment was sought; and it ii'\ quc:>.'tioned whether all the machinery of the courts, with their appliance~ for arraying witnesses and juries, will be able to procure a conviction of the known perpetrators. It i. · not well to dh;gui e the fad that there is among our population a chrouie fe ,ling of

Rightly approached and honestly dealt with, the Indian can be made to coru1)rehend his true interest, and to join in efforts to secure it. Given the opportunity to labor upon his own land, with assurance that the gain will be his own, he will soon, like his white neighbor, rejoice in a en e of proprietorship and personal independence to which he is yet a, ·tranger. Large numbers among the chiefs haye, within my own ob ervation, ought to become owners of land and farmers. While at Fort Hall Agency, a few weeks since, I was witness, through the courtesy of the. agent, to the growing industry and thrift of Indians known to me not two years since as wandering beggars in this vicinity. I was informed by that officer that the number of Indian families engaged in farming upon the reservation in 1875 was four; in 1876, twenty-five; in 1 77, seventy; in 1878, one hundred and twenty-five; in 1879, one hun­ dred and fifty. Such rapid progress made while cultivating land~ not their own indicates what may be expected with each a proprietor of the soil he cnltivates. · It i uggested that Congress be asked to so amend the land laws that Indian be plaeed upon the same footing with white men in respect to the right to entry of public lands, and also aR to their opportunity to become citizens. · n i a que. tion with some whether Fort Hall Reservation is a reser­ vation. A railroad has been constructed across it. White settlers go upon mHl occupy it. At the Territorial election of 1878, polls were op ned, a ]aro·e number of vot ~, including those of some one hundred and fifty native Indians, received and counted. Upon a contest in the g neral aH.'embly of a . eat claimed upon returns including these Indian votcH, it was gra,-ely decided upon investigation and report of com­ mittee that no such reservation had been legally established. A pro­ mulgation of the hnv, and execnth-e oruer under which tllis reservation wa: Het ap:nt would .·av.e much embarra sment and blundering on the part of future TenitoriallegislatnreH and prevent fi'auus in local elections. )Ii. ·appropriation of the funds of the government and. of the snpplies fumi.·h d the Indian· s em a rondition of the pre. ent sy tem. Agents uconut r (rr •at temptation: to illicit practice. . They :tiud in the neigh­ borhood of thrir agencie dh;hone. ·t traders an a: in former Tear,, th v ry limited mili­ tary fore·· :tation ·cl in th 'f nit r' haY r .·pond d to Yery rall \V"itlt 'l' ·a promptitnch·.

GOY j~JL .)IE~ "T OJt' 'l'IIB TEU.RITORIE. I . IDAHO TERRITORY. 425 tiou in that direction, the purchase of Louisiana by Mr. Jefferson, was sharply criticised. The right, founded in might, to dispossess the In­ dians by purchase, fraud, or force was less questioned, and has been exercised from then till now. · The element of national growth inherent in our institutions quick­ ened into vigorous life. Breaking over the narrow limit of the thirteen original States, our people pierced the wilderness, scaled the mount­ ains, and overspread the plains till, pausing on the golden shore of the Pacific, the~· realized the dream of an ocean-bound republic. All the domain thus possessed fell necessarily under the care of the national authorities. Territorial organizations were devised or impro,Tisecl for the protection of life and property, and to provide foundation for new States. The beginning was an ,experiment; and in creating and ad­ ministering the hybrid governments thus instituted, a mixture of Con­ gressional enactments and cnHle local legislation, it is but a lame experi­ ment still. There is no compaeted and consistent body of national law concerning the Territories. .Acts have been passed, sectious amended, overlapped., and repealed, and special features introduced to :fit special cases, until they lie along the pages of our legiRlative history in l,roken fragmentR like wrecks on the sea-shore after a storm. Common people, whose interests are in daily jeopardy, cannot understand them; lawyers are paid for disagreeing on their meauing; and judges, when failing from its obscurity to ascertain what, the law is, are compelled to decide what it ought to be. . The mining laws especially need revision. Congress and the several Tenitorial legislatures '~ ruu on the same line" in fr1Lming laws cover­ ing the same subject matters, RO that parties in ascertaining their rights are compelled to consult both, and ofteu find them so mixed aud inter­ wovmt that the r·eal meaning is hard to find. The difficulty is increased .by administering the law in deference to local customs aud t.he rules adopted by miners in districts, often unlike, sometimes unwise. It is nbmitted that a comprehensive and carefully revised act of Congress coverin(J" th~ entire field, defining all rights and remedies, leaving a very narrow scope to local legislation, would a:tlonl a remedy for most of the exi:::;ting evils. It does not seem more necessary to tolerate double legis­ lation coucerning mines than iu managing and di::;posing of the public lauds. As it is now, rights are so uncertain and litigation so certain that the mining interests of Idaho haYe languished from the dread of capitalist:-; to risk their money in them. The public-land laws, being under revision by an able eommission prodded by tile act of ... rlarch 3, 1879, it is hoped tllat the burdens now falling upon bona .fide settlers may be mitigated, and t,be facilities for frauds removed. .A change deemed important in t.lte desert-land law has been already considered. Pre-emptors and homestead settlers are .~ometimes driven from their claims by Indians 01· white marauders, or compelled to leave them temporarily by stress of circumstances, whereby the continuity of posse. sion is broken. Such persons should not lose their claim,' by reason of enforced absence, but be allowed to hold upon propm· JH'09f •. Person entering public lands encounter great difficulty in locating tbe tracts, and are too often compelled to find metes and bound by a re::;urvey at private expense. It is apprehehd.ecl that the placing of durable monuments at the proper corners is tQO often neg­ lect

natural streams crossing his possession were guarded by stringent laws and confirmed by decisions of all the courts. But in these Western States and Territories, where water is specially valuable, streamR have been appropriated by capitalists and corporations, turned from their channels for mining and other purposes, and, in effect, treated as private property, to the exclusion of those enf.itled to common use. As the local law of Califor11ia has failed to cure this grave abuse, may not Congress interpose for the preservation of the Territories from the like evil, and not leaYe so great an interest to the suggestions of private greed or the uncertainties of local litigation~ . The laws concerning the holding of the United States courts and the powers and·duties of judges, especially in vacation, should be more ac­ curately defined, the mode of enforcing the attendance of jurors and wit­ nesses made more effective, as well as the manner of empaneling grand and petit juries and their compensation. In old States and dense com­ munities it is possible to make up the panel as proYided in section 2 of chapter 52, act June 30, 1879. But in some of our counties, larger than Massachusetts, separated by plains and mountain ranges, with 100 miles or more of traveling distance to the county seat, the compensation being but half sufficient to meet traveling expenses, with no adequate appro­ priation to pay marshal's fees for hunting jurors from such extremes, with terms too short to admit of the journey, it is impossible to do busi­ ne , and the law works a denial of justice. Sooner or later the fact must be recognized that tile Territories need laws suitable to their own condHion. The buily taking, or authorizing the takivg of, private property for public uses? Uan ~ Territory grant subsidies to railroads and other objects of general utility, by i nil1g its bonds, or authorize countie.s and municipal corporations to do so 1 0 'rllC organic la'v provides that the Federal officers of Territories "shall 1·ec iv certain annual urns for salary." Of late years Congress has, without expres ly replacing or changing the original enactment, named in th appropriation bills lesser sums, ~ nite by borrowing bi. ftm1itur , di. pen. h1g , -ith a clerk, and doing hi.· own office work, keep

witllin he pr , en ~tppropriation . 0 It i. n dful t tak into ac ount, in all branches of the public er"ice in h T rrit ri a. i i' in mo:t f th m, that all C~ pen e. are much igh r the 11 in old r · mmunitie . . I i. · . umr • t ,d hat th r cent 1' duction in the number compo ·ing th w h n ..· f T rrit ri< 1 l gi ·lature. i, untim ly . . Population i · r idl · in ·r a. ing and J w onnti b i ng r >a ted, Idaho h, Yin o· an fli · n f tw a th 1 .· .· ·.·ion. 1 rrit r"T v r i(Tbt ·-. L- thou. and mil · ill ar a, with its diver ifi d 0 ·hmat and pr (ln ·ti n divid in o di. ·tin t communHie,· by mountain . an l d . r· plain h . p 'f'ial n d that a ·h ·tion and inter t nll r vr . nt fl. Th r dnf·tion of th nnmb r f officer. and IDAHO TERRITORY. 427 employes of the general assembly is still more unfortunate. The service cannot be performed with efficiency and completeness by the reduced numbers, and in the case of some not at all, as duties to be performed in different places at the same time are imposed upon one officer. The policy of reducing the compensation, as provided in the same act, June 19, 1878,.is questioned. Members of the general assembly are com­ pelled at the most inclement season to travel hundreds of miles by cir­ cuitous routes, and often to cross mountain ranges on horseback, some­ times on snow-shoes, to reach the capital. .All expenses of living and traveling are greatly in excess, often a hundreQ_ per cent. above the same class in older communities. Laborers in the mines and ordinary mechan­ ics are better paid. When required to serve upon inadequate compen­ sation, only the rich, or those having no "visible means of support," can afford to accept office, too often, in either case, governed by considera­ tio:ps not favorable to safe legislation. The middle classes, the men of moderate means, will not care to leave their families and business to serve the public at a loss. The effect of such economy is demoralizing, as was shown by the passage of bills by our last legislature appointing additional officers of the houses, and appropriating money for their pay­ ment out of the Territorial treasury, in direct, well-known, and inten­ tional defiance of the prohibitory laws of the United States. Under the effect of judicious legislation at the session of 1876-'77, the increase of the Territorial debt has not only ceased, but it is being gradually reduced without an increase of taxation. The illegal appropriations of the last session will not materially check this decrease. The counties as well as the Territory are now reducing their indebted­ ness. The United States penitentiary, like other branches of the service, is now conducted with efficiency and economy. The Territorial prisoners,. under contract, are kept by the United States at an expense to the Ter­ ritory of one dollar per day. .As the number is increasing, casting addi­ tional burdens upon the Territory, it is desirable that Congress provide for their support by their own labor. In many public prisons their judi­ cious employment produces returns above expenses. The wholesome truth, that idleness is the parent of mischief and crime, is not out of place even within prison walls. The present keeper, taking the respon­ sibility, is endeavoring, with some success, to introduce regular and paying labor, lmt cannot prDceed far without adequate authority, which, as I am advised by the Department of Justice, requires further legisla­ tion of Congress. Tn1sting that returns from other sources will present a more satisfac­ tory array of facts and figures than are within my reach, I remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, lYI. BRAYl\f.AN, Governor of Idaho. Ron. CARL ScHuRz, Secretary of the Interior.

REPORT

OF THE S UR VE Y0 R-G E N E R AL 0 F I D AH 0 .

DEPARTMEN'l' OF THE INTERIOR, GENERAL LAND OFFICE, Washington, D. 0., November 15, 1879. SIR : Respectfully referring to departmental letter of the 5th Septem­ ber last, requesting this office. to instruct the surveyors-general of the Territories to transmit to the department such information as they pos­ sess, or may be able to obtain, relative to the resources and development of the Territories, I have the honor to transmit herewith the report of the United States surveyor-general of Idaho, upon the resources of that Territory, dated October 16, 1879. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, J. M. ARMSTRONG, Acting Commissioner. Ron. CARL SCHURz, Secreta.ry of the Interior.

SURVEYOR GENERAL'S OFFICE, Boise City, Idaho, October 16, 1879. SIR: In compliance with ;your letter of September 8, 1879 (marked E), I have the honor to submit the following report relat.ing to the re­ sources and development of the Territory of Idaho :

SOIL. There is a uccession of mountains extending over a large part of the northern half of this Territory, the soil of which is generally sandy and rocky. The mountain sides are covered with pine, fir, and cedar timber. In the southern part the Goose Creek and Owyhee Ranges extend to the southern and western boundaries, with similar soil, and growth of juniper timber. The soil of the lower hills is composed largely of decomposed granite and and. tonel.. and in its natural tate produces a lnxtu"iant growth of bunch-gra s, anording abundant grazing for stock. 'I he oil of the table-lauds i much the same, except considerable tracts io which fine, rich loam is intermixed, and when irrigated produces large Cl'Op of grain. Sage brush grows on all the table-lands interspersed with gra s.. In the valley of the ·treams and along the bases of many of the mountain range , the soil is dark, sandy loam, finely pulverized, and mellow and well adapted to the growth of cereals an(l vegetables~ 430 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. There is a large volcanic plateau near the center of the southern half of the Territory, inaccessible arid unexplored, destitute of soil or vege­ tation. CLIMATE. This Territory, extruding from the forty-second degree north latitude to the fort;y-11intb, and its surface broken up into undulating plains, high rolling hill~, aJJd rugged mountain ranges, has a varied climate. In the valleys mild and equable, sufficiently warm in summer to mature the crops of the farmer, and rarely visited by severe storms or deep snows in winter. In the high an

AGRICULTURE.

!11 considerillg the agricultural resources and productions of Idaho ' reference must be made to its altitude and surface. It.· eleyation is from 2,000 feet above sea-level in the lower Snake River alley, to 9,000 feet on the top of its mountain peaks; a large part lying· abov the altitude of 4,000 feet. The higher portions are broken up into a succession of mountain rang .·,in many })lace. very steep and rugged. Below these are high, rollin hill , upon which nutritious grasses are found, affording vast 1 a. tur land. for tock. Still lower are the table or "sage-brush" 1 nd.· rich in ,•oil, and when properly irrigated and cultiv-ated produce larg crop of eereal:::; and vegetable , and are favorable to the growth of fruit.· c mmon to thi htitude. The Yalleys of the streams are fertile, and in th northern l)Ortion of tbe Territory (where the rainfalls are .·nffi i ut in Hpring and early summer) excellent crops of cereals arc r, i · d without artifi ial irriO" hrong-ht for irrio·ation. 'Ih aggT r,·, amo mt of .·n ·h Janel i · large, btlt i: eli. tl'ibutcd in com­ mrntiy lr .·mall tra ·t: tlll'OUO'lwu the vhol T nitory whcreYcr th re IDAHO TERRITORY. 431 are streams of running water, but mostly in the northern and southern portions. In the northern, along the valle,Ys of the Spokane, Palouse, and Clearwater Rivers and their tributaries, successful and quite exten­ sive farming is carried on, the t:~urplus products finding a ready market down the Snake and Columbia Rivers, which are navigable to Lewiston, the county seat of Nez Perce County. Salmon River, south of the Clearwater, is a large and rapid stream. Its smuce is in the western slope of the Rocky Mountains and along the Saw Tooth Range near the center of the Territory, and courses through its entire breadth from east to west and unites with the Snake near lati­ tude 46 o N. This stream rises in and runs through the most rugged and mountainous part of the Territory, with but little agricultural land along its narrow valley. Bonanza City, in latitude 44° 35' N., longitude 114° 30' W., altitude 6,400 feet, is sHuated on its headwaters, and is sur­ rounded by high and rugged mountains whose peaks tower into the re­ gions of perpetual snow. A large area of tlle interior of the Territory is covered by mountains which extend across it from the Uocky Mountain Range on the eastern boundary, to the SmLke R.iver on the \Yestern. Weiser and Payette Rivers rise in the westerly spurs of this mountain range and flow west­ erl;y iuto Snake River near latitude 44° N., the valleys of which contain many acres of very fertile land, upon which there are good farms, and many more will be taken up and· cultivated when the settler can feel assured that he will not ue exposed to the ammal raids of marauding Indians. Boise River takes its rise in the southeasterly spurs of the same mount­ ain range, flows north we.'terly and joins the Snake in latitude 430 40' N., longitude 117° W. The valley of this stream for a distance of 60 miles from its confluence with Snake River to where It debouches from the mountains, contains a large area of the most productive land, the valley lJeing at some point's several miles in width, with many farms in a high state of cultivation. The stream falls in its course through the valley at the rate of about ten feet per mile. The banks are low, and water is easily diverted from its channel to irrigating ditches. Snake River takes its rise in the mountainous regions of Wyoming, and its variouH branches flowing westerly into the Territory, unite in one grand stream 25 miles north of rraylor's Bridge, about 50 miles from the east boundary of Idaho. Thence its course for a distance of 160 miles is to the southwest; thence northwesterly about the same dis­ tance to the western boundary of the Territory; thence north along the western boundary about 350 miles to Lewiston, where it passes into Washington Territory. At the point of j tmction of the several streams forming the Snake, there is a large tract of rich bottom-land, mostly above high water, aucl on which many settlers have moved this seat:~on, feeling confident they will succeed iu their efforts to cultivate success­ fully this valley, although the altitude is nearly 5,000 feet above sea­ len~!. The stream from this point fo _' a dh;tance of 150 miles runs through a broad valley of rich lan . In many places the banks are low ancl favorable to the construction of irrigating ditches. Below this point for 75 miles the river com'ses through a deep rocky canon, in which is situated the Sho. hone Fall.·, equal to the Falls of :Niagara in height and volume of water and far exceeding them in natural .'Cenery. After leayilw tlle canon, the river flows with a gentle current through an open rolling country about 200 miles, when the mountains on both ides 432 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. close in, and its course is confined to a narrow rocky channel or calion until it leaves the Territory near Lewiston. The valley of Snake River contains most of the table lands in the Territory, and the water of the stream is ample for irrigating millions of acres of as producti\e land as can be found in any country. Running into the Snake from the south are several small Rtreams, the valleys of which contain considerable tracts of agricultural lands. Com­ mencing with the Bruneau, thence following up the stream are.Goose and Marsh Creeks, Raft River, Fall, Rock, and Bannock Creek:s, r->ort­ neuf, Ross's Fork, and Blackfoot Rivers. There are settlements in the valleys of all these streams, but the more considerable are along Goose and Marsh Creeks, Raft River and its tributaries, and Blackfoot. In the southeastern portion of the Territory, along the Malade and Bear Hivers and their branches, are large settlements of prosperous farmers. I have only called attention to the most important agricultural sec­ tions of the Territory, leaving out the many small valleys containing small areas of very productive lanu, and more or less occupied by the farmer and herder. Any estimate of tlle number of acres of the various classes of lands in thi Territory, so broken in its surface and va,ried in its climate and altitude, can be only ~tpproximate. Of its total area of 55,228,160 acre , I b lieve 12,000,000 acre to be agricultural, either in its natural state or that may be ref'Iaimed . by hrigation with the available water now flowing in the streams; 25,000,000 acres pasture lands ; 10,000,000 acre. timber land; and the remaiuder, 8,228,160 acres, may be considered "' orthJess, consi ting of inacce ible mountain peaks and lava beds. The development of the agricultural interests of the Territory ha been slow, owing to its inland and isolated position, lying outside of all railroad line · until the building of the Utah and Northern Railroad through the ea tern part during last year, with no navigable waters xe pt at Lewi ton, at the head of steambor~tnavigation on Snake River, jn t a,' it lea,?e. the Tenitory. Transportation by teams is so expen­ ,'i but little profitable farming could be

~IL. ? IX • IDAHO TERRITORY. 433 is the most important and leading branch of industry. The field for enterprise in this direction is almost without limit; but the development of its mines has been retarded by the high price of labor and the great cost of transporting supplies and machinery to the center of the moun­ tainous regions in which the mines are mostly situated. The building of the Utah and Northern Railroad through its eastern border, and the expectation of the early construction of a line from near Blackfoot to the Columbia River, running through the center of the Territory, has stimulated prospecting, and many rich lodes of gold and · silver-bearing ores have been discovered within the year. . Placer mining is carried on successfully in many places, but the yearly exhaustion of surface diggings reduces the annual production from that source. · Gold too fine to be separated from the earth by the old proc~ss of washing is found in Snake River Valley through its whole distance in the Territory, and heretofore it has baffled the skill of the miner to save it. During the present season several parties have been working claims . along the river -with silver electro-plated machines with satisfactory results. Should this system of mining prove successful, it will open up a large :field of operations. The area of land containing this fine or "float" gold may be counted by thousands of acres. I have no means of ascertaining the annual production of the various mines in this Territory, but from the printed statement of Wells, Fargo & Co. :find the total shipments of gold dust, bullion, and ore for the year 1878 to be $1,868,122. . To obtain information regarding the condition of mining interests, I addressed letters of ip.quiry to several United States deputy mineral surveyors, requesting statements of the development and production of the mines in their localities. I also requested A. Walters, esq., United States assayer at Boise City, to furnish a brief outline of the mineral resources of the Territory. His official relation with miners gives him facilities to' obtain the most reliable information, which is contained in his able and intelligent statement, which I have the pleasure to intro­ duce: UNITED STATES ASSAY OFFICE, Boise City, Idaho, OctobeT 3! 1879. SIR: Agreeably to rel)nest, I have the honor to herewith give you a brief outline ot the mineral resources of Idaho Territory and the past and prospective production ot her mines. Until :five or six years ago by far the largest portion of the predons m etals produced in the Territory·were derived from the placer mines, and it is safe to credit to that source of supply at least three-fourths of the sixty-five million produced up to Hl73. Since th n most of the rich alluvial deposits have beeu exhau. ted, and, with few ex­ ceptions, plac r mining i entirely in the hands of· Chinese, who, on account of their more than frurral habits and mode of living, manage to realize, to them, large profits from claims w'hich would not yield the lo~ est wages to a white laborer. While dur­ ing the most productive season the e placers yielded as high as :five and six millions per annum, 1 . than one million ha. been taken out annually for the last few years, prin ipall,V derived from the placers of Boise Basin. · There being a large amount of poor or so-calle(l Chine e digging,·, this production will probably continue for q_uite anum­ ber of y~a~· s, but as the whole country has been pretty thoroughly prospected for plac~r, 1t 1s hardly probable t~at any m.ore rich diggings will be ~ound that are ex­ ten 1ve enough to cut a :figure m the bulhon production of the 'fcrntory. The gradual exhau. tion of the placer naturally led miners to look for the source whence t~ se rrravel clepo it came, and numerous o'ol

cipal mining districts, there is no doubt in my mind but. that the mines of Idaho, in the course of a few years after the completion of this railroad,· will take one of the leading positions among the bullion-producing States and Territories of the Union. . I have the houor to be, very respectfully, A. WALTERS, United States Assayer. Hor. W:\L P. CHANDLER; Surveyor Gene~·al of Idttho.

The following items respecting the development of the mines in the Yankee Fork mining district have been kindly furnished at my solicita­ tion by WalterS. Shannon, esq., United States deputy mineral surveyor and mining engineer, which I beg leave to present: The mines of Yankee Fork are principally gold-bearing quartz. The ' working of these did not commence until early last spring. Morrison's placer has been worked for some years with great success; nuggets have frequently been found as large as hen's eggs. Over $35,000 have been expended during the last four years in constructing ditches, dams, &c. At present it is paying $1.25 per pan. This placer mine is situated at the mouth of Jordan Creek, which empties into Yankee Fork River. The Ouster mine is situated on the side of Mount Ouster, 1,900 feet above Yankee Fork River, and three miles northeast of Bonanza City. ,The ledge is between 300 and 400 feet wide, and runs from top to bottom of the mountain; the ore assaying from $450 to $650 per ton. The owners, Messrs. Heggin, Tevis, Hurst, and Pfieffer (Pfieffer, superin- . tendent), are working the mine, running a tunnel, so that the miners will be protected from snow in winter. A 40-stamp mill is in process of construction in San Francisco, which will be placed in position early, the following spring. The Unknown mine, owned by the same parties, including Mr. George­ Grayson, is situated on the east side of the Ouster mine, and is a con-­ tinuation of the Ouster ledge, but containing rock which assays from. $900 to $1,000 per ton. There are other mines situated on l\fount Ouster, but of a lower grade .. J\'Iount Estis mines, which are 7 miles northwest of Bonanza City, are of a different formation from the Ouster rock, being less flinty. The :Montana mine is the principal one, owned by Captain Varney, who has a tunnel 50 feet from the surface. This rock assays from $6,000 to $7,000 per ton, all free gold. The ledge between hanging wall and foot wall is 8 feet. The captain has been shipping rock to the,; quartz mill at Atlanta during the past summer. Estis mine, owned by Estis Bros., is situated near the 1\Iontana mine;. and is estimated at the same value. The ledge is 7 feet wide. Their rock at present is worked by an arrastra. Oharle Dickens mine is situated on the forks of Jordan Creek and Yankee Fork River, on the east side of the hill, 400 feet above the river. Their tunnel follows the ledge 60 feet. The rock assays between $300 and $400 per ton. They have an arrastra, which is worked night and day. This mine is owned by William Norton, esq. The rock from these mines, excepting the Montana and Estis, is roast­ ing ore. As soon as stamp mills are erected, the owners · of mines will com­ mence work in earnest. At present the number of miners employed doe not exceed 300, who command $5 per day. The seasons are very hort for mining purposes, and the want of a wagon road has retarded the development of the mine . 436 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. IDAHO TERRITORY. 437 is from .$75 to $85 per ton, by mHling process. The absence of bases in these ores is notable, as shown by the following analysis:

Silica (quartz) ...... •••..••...... ••.•••...... ••. ····~-.... 92.4 Sulphur...... • • • ...... • ...... • • • • ...... • . . . . • • • 1. 0 Iron ...... • • • ...... • ...... • • • • • • . . . . • • • . . • • • . • • • . • • • • • • . . . 6. 0 Arsenic ...... ••.•••••...... •' ...... • • • • ...... 0. 6 Zinctraces ...... ·...... 0.0 100 Banner district yields chlorides (black sulphurets rarely), antimonial, arsenic,· ruby and native silver. The general direction of all the ledges thus far prospected or developed is northeast and southwest. Identifi­ cation is not easy, as the ledges do not often outcrop upon the surface; yet the silver belt has been traced some ten miles, and has a width of less than a half mile. Some 50 claims are located, ami while by assays some specimens have shown as high as $6,000 and upwards, from $50 to $100, is probably near the :figures to be relied upon in actual milling process, on chlorina­ tion up among the nineties. The veins o not seem to be continuous, but in -pockets or chimneys, and are encased within granite and gangue of a white or light-yellow tinge, and are almost invariably accompanied with manganese, which assumes the thickness of a half inch to two inches, and is always indica­ tive of a well-defined paying ledge. The ledges in this locality have not been sunk upon to sufficient depth to ascertain trend and dip as a gene­ ral rule. Veins located on parallel ridges having the same course, clip tewarcls each other, and it is contended by miners and experts that each vein will preserve its identity to an inexhaustible depth. Many theories are advanced, but only actual sinking can demonstrate their nature. The Elmira Silver Mining Company have possessory titles to upwards of 20 lodes, but are prosecuting work upon only three of the number, viz, Crownpoint, Wolverine, and Banner. The first named two have been entered by three shafts and two tunnels, and a well-defined vein averaging two feet in thickness (milling $85 per ton) developed from the surface croppings down to a depth of 200 feet.

POPULATION. The isolated and inland situation of Idaho and the want of easy com­ munication to its borders has prevented any rapid increase in popu­ lation. Since the Territorial organization only the census _of 1870 has been taken. The number shown by that enumeration was 20,588. Since that time there has been a steady and healthy growth, and the number may now reasonably be estimated at 27,000.

TRANSPORTATION. Lying outside of all the great routes of tra\el and commerce, the only means of com-p1unication hitherto has been by tedious and toilsome journeys over unimproved roads, except the outlet by Snake and Colum­ bia Rivers-navigable for light-draught steamboats-to one point in Northern Idaho, for a few months in each year. During the past and present year the Utah and Northern Railroad has been constructed from Franklin, at the south boundary of the Ter­ ~tor;y:, through its eastern bord~r, a distance of 150 miles to Camas St.a­ tion, 1t present terminus. Th1s road will be extended to Montana at 438 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. an early day. Surveys have been made during the present season for a line to the Columbia River via Boise City, to connect with this road at or near Blackfoot Station. ·Freights are high and commercial intercourse restricted. Rates from Kelton-on the Central P,acific Railroad, the nearest railroad point-are from $3 to $5 per cwt. to Boise City, and much more to most of the min· ing camps. · The mountain formation extending across the Territory near latitude 440 north divides it into two parts as regards communication. There are no roads in the Territory connecting its northern and southern por­ tions, and it seems to he an undertaking too expensive for the local authorities to build a wagon-road through this region, although the physical obstacles are not great.

STOCK GROWING. IDAHO TERRITORY. 439